The new online resource 750 Words offers a great challenge to help writers get their daily juices flowing.  It is based on the notion that writing 750 words every single morning is an effective conditioning exercise for writers.  As an incentive, users earn badges when they meet certain writing goals.  There’s even a “One Month Challenge,” with rewards and punishments to spur you on — and an option to create your own reward at the end of the month.  One’s ramblings are strictly private, unless one chooses to share selected entries.  One can even tie into Facebook, where one’s friends can offer encouragement.  I think many writers will find this online application to be very valuable, especially those that are in a rut or face writer’s block.  Be sure to read the site’s FAQ page to understandthe site’s concepts.

Penzu is another secure and private online journaling site.  The developers include a test-drive option, allowing visitors to try out the application without signing up for it.  If you like it, one can sign up for a free account.  Those who really like the service can upgrade to the Pro version and its additional features for $19.00 a year.

The interface is supremely clean and uncluttered.  It’s just a virtual lined sheet of paper, which includes the day’s date, a line for Subject Title and the rest for one’s journal entry.  In the free version, users can lock it down to protect it from intruders.  In the pro version, one can go the extra step and invoke military-grade encryption.  The service also provides options to make selected pages public.  This app is for those serious about journaling.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Penzu Keeps Your Online Journal Private and Secure [Journals] (lifehacker.com)
• Ommwriter and Penzu, my other favorite private journaling tools (busterbenson.com)
• 750 Words: A quiet place to think (trueslant.com)
• Mémoires, A Lightweight Journal for your Mac. Review & Giveaway! (macstories.net)
• Writer’s Bootcamp: Breaking Writer’s Block (profhacker.com)

iDaily Diary

This software comes in both FREE and PRO versions.  I reviewed the free version back in 2007, finding it a useful tool for writers.  What I wrote back then still applies to the current free version.  It’s a convenient place to capture one’s general thoughts and ideas about one’s writing career and objectives, and about potential projects that still have not taken full shape.  The strengths I pointed to before are the dated pages in a spiral-notebook format, plus the possibility of tabbed subject pages available along the top.  My previous review gives some illustrations.  In addition, one can maintain multiple diaries, perhaps one for business and one for personal matters.  Or different diaries for different major, long-term projects.

The PRO version of iDaily Diary will be offered at half price, $30 discounted to $15, on this Thursday, 21 January, by Bits du Jour.  It offers a number of useful additional features that may be worth the price for a working writer.  The feature that caught my eye first is the ability to maintain an undated notebook, a feature that would be useful for specific project development.  Also, one can view entries in a hierarchical tree format.  The Pro version also offers a lot more control over the diary’s content, including photos, audio and video, as well as tables — and there’s much more control over exporting and printing.  The software website provides feature lists for both versions, for easy comparison.  As always, the software can be downloaded from Bits du Jour in advance for evaluation — and in this case, if the Pro version does not appeal to you, you can simply install the free version over the Pro version.

NOTE:  I may be the best customer at Bits du Jour, as I can’t resist many of the deals it offers.  Curiously, it seems that Bits du Jour runs writing-related software in bunches, with several titles offered within a couple of weeks, followed by months of software discounts of little interest to writers.  This week, for example, it offers two excellent values for writers, including a powerful package for screenwriters — SEE PREVIOUS POST.

Debrief

Several months ago, I started using Debrief, a program that is a diary, but much, much more.  Debrief comes in three versions — Basic [free], Standard [$29.95] and Pro [$39.95].  The basic version operates like a daily diary and is somewhat comparable to the free version of iDaily Diary.  The Pro version is much more powerful, with features I considered so valuable that I purchased it.  The features of the different versions is best understood by looking at the version comparision chart.

The software website defines the basic concept of the program:

Notes are at the core of Debrief. Make a note one time, and view it in many different contexts. They can be viewed by date, like a journal. Or by subject folder, like files in a drawer. And they can be viewed within additional contexts of the features mentioned below – tasks, contacts, reading, etc. Of course, notes are searchable too.

Included in the Pro version are capabilities to develop a Reading List and Library, where one can compile notes regarding ongoing research.  This feature alone prompted me to purchase the program.  It also allows one to develop project to do lists, contact information and more.  To get a real sense of the program, take a look at the screenshots.

Normally, these days, when I’m working on projects, I keep Debrief open on my desktop so that I can easily dump ideas and notes into it.  I really like it.  On the other hand, it may offer power that many writers will not need, in which case the Pro version of iDaily Diary, or even the free versions of either software will be quite sufficient.  Of course, one can always upgrade later on.

The Journal

I cannot leave this discussion without mentioning The Journal.  Again, I reviewed this program some time ago.  There are aspects to it that make it particularly useful for writers, with some features designed just for us.

For a quick introduction to The Journal, take a look at How to Keep a Journal with The Journal.  Basically, The Journal allows one to enter text on dated Diary pages or on undated Notebook pages.  Moreover, entries can be categorized [even with as many sub-categories that you might need].  Then take a look at the screenshots, which are well-annotated.  A second page of screenshots is of even greater interest to writers.

The Journal’s website offers a host of useful resources which will be of special interest to writers, including writing exercises and articles about various aspects of the journaling process.  And, yes, The Journal offers a FREE newsletter as well — just sign up.  This newsletter mostly carries articles about how to harness The Journal to make it more productive.  I like the fact that available on the sign up page are links to newsletter archives — so one has a rich treasure trove about jounaling immediately available.

The Journal costs $49.95 for the downloadable version.  The software can be installed on TWO computers, a feature that I personally consider almost mandatory these days.

My General Thoughts about Journaling

I personally became a fan of journaling years ago when I turned to Ira Progoff’s At A Journal Workshop to help me through a period of difficult personal transition.  I have since then learned how journaling can be helpful to a writing career.  As you probably know, there are quite a number of books available about the process of journaling.  Amazon has a bunch of them.

But one can learn a lot just by looking into the three software programs above and working through their respective websites.  There are some commonalities among them.  The free versions are simple daily journals, not much different from a hand-written journal.  The Pro versions offer capabilities that no handwritten journal can offer:  spelling checking, thesaurus, extensive formatting, multi-meida capabilities, cross-referencing and hyperlinking, organizational tools such as categories, and so on.

Just reviewing the screenshots of the three programs can spark ideas in your mind about ways to go about working as a writer.  So, take some time, and use this post as a self-study project.  It may be valuable to you.

DO YOU ALREADY JOURNAL?

If you already have experience journaling, please share with us your observations, techniques, recommendations of specific books and other journal programs.  Just post your comments in the Comments Box.  Thanks

Related articles by Zemanta

• Practical uses for blogs: Journals and research notebooks (shannonturlington.com)
• For Those Blogging Through a Life Transition (stirrup-queens.blogspot.com)
• Monthly Calendar and Planner Software – Free (techblissonline.com)

Here are some comments from Bits du Jour regulars who have been using the software for months:

I’ve had and used this program daily for more than a year now, and I wouldn’t be without it. First program I install on any new computer I get. Beyond a simple journal, it is a program for writing, plain and simple. Plus you can compose your blog entries in The Journal and post them directly to your blog from it. An excellent writing application that I highly recommend!  — from Jim McGowan.

More than just a journal program, I’d call it a whole life file cabinet and organizer. Besides being a program to keep a daily diary or journal, I have it organized to keep quotes, stories, genealogy information, photography ideas, and a collection of favorite poems. Very, very versatile.  — from M. Saunders.

If you are at all intrigued, I suggest to visit the software’s homepage, which provides a lot of very useful and clear information.  I can see that this program might be very useful to a lot of writers.  Particularly intriguing is the ability to keep “loose-leaf,” undated pages in a hierarchical tree of nested pages — ideal for your writing projects, more or less replacing your word processor until you need more formatting power.

The Journal

Related articles by Zemanta

• Free Writer’s Software – today only
• Review: StoryMill 3.1
• Back to School: Writing tools, part I
• Diary.com